The Year 1996 Albums Calendar and Rankings

1996 was a year that I was amidst in listening to progressive metal and getting my 1st taste of progressive rock beyond Rush. Although it was odd how '96, '97, '98 I did check out a lot of it, to mixed success. But I guess 1996 maybe was best known for waiting for the next Dream Theater album after being obsessed with them, buying bootlegs and loving their new EP from 1995, despite the departure of Kevin Moore.

King's X and Fates Warning were the other go-to's around that time. Ear Candy came out in May, but it was actually in July or August I 1st checked them out and did enjoy their newest album quite a bit after initially thinking they were a Lenny Kravitz wannabe band.

I went on to see King's X live in 1996 along with Galactic Cowboys, another new band to me. And their new album Machine Fish was a record I enjoyed and have since.

Rush of course released their 1st album in 3 years in Test For Echo, which I can't say was a huge disappointment, but ultimately, seems a bit sad given it was really the 1st new album they released after me being an addicted fan (I suppose 2nd, but when Counterparts came out in 1993, I didn't even know it was coming out, and I was still digesting some of their massive catalog).

But I guess when I was only luke warm about the new Rush album, and my almost impatience waiting for a new Dream Theater album. A couple of things filled that void for me.

1) The Rush tribute album  from Magna Carta Working Man. It had a bunch of musicians I enjoyed including I recall all of the Dream Theater guys aside from Derek Sherinian I think.Plus it was co-produced by Mike Portnoy, lol.

But the likes of Fates Warning, Shadow Gallery, Devin Townsend and some others.

2) Victor, the Alex Lifeson side/solo project, which I later came to learn about the singer being Edwin from I Mother Earth

3) The underground progressive rock and metal scene. "Neoprog" and Power Metal along with labels like Magna Carta and these Import prog and metal companies like Impulse music which I came across selling cds at Record Shows and they were originally based in the Twin Cities, but eventually moved to Roselle, IL.

And it was through Impulse I first hear about Angra, a brazilian band who played incredible fast and technical, and had this soaring singer named Andre Matos that I absolute loved. And their album Holy Land I eventually came to love the most.

Another one I read about 1st on the Ytsejam through the Dream Theater fans, and eventually purchased the debut album Behind, from Germany's Superior.

Oddly Andre even later went on to sing on a Superior tune on their next album.

The other records from 1996, Spock's Beard, I Mother Earth, DJ Shadow, Porcupine Tree, Eric Johnson among others actually make 1996 a pretty deep year that also is somewhat top heavy. I mean Holy Land is an all-time classic, but after that there's just a long list of very good records that extend into the 20's or more.

1. Angra - Holy Land
2. Superior - Behind
3. Spock's Beard - Beware of Darkness
4. King's X - Ear Candy
5. I Mother Earth - Scenery and Fish
6. Victor - Victor
7. Galactic Cowboys - Machine Fish
8. DJ Shadow - Entroducing....
9. Eric Johnson - Venus Isle
10. Porcupine Tree - Signify
11. Enchant - Wounded
12. Marillion - Made Again
13. The Tea Party - Alhambra [EP]
14. Various Artists - Working Man: A Show of Bands
15. The Flower Kings - Retropolis
16. Super 8 - Super 8
17. Galactic Cowboys - Feel the Rage [EP]
18. Lemur Voice - Insights
19. Jason Falkner - Presents Author Unknown
20. Rush - Test for Echo
21. sElf - The Half-Baked Serenade
22. Orphaned Land - El Norra Alla
23. Screaming Headless Torsos - Live!!
24. Altura - Mercy
25. Visionary - Visionary
26. Yes - Keys 2 Ascension
27. 24-7 Spyz - Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound
28. Fountains of Wayne - Fountains of Wayne
29. George Michael - Older
30. Paula Cole - This Fire
31. dredg - Conscious [EP]
32. The Wondermints - Wonderful World of the Wondermints
33. The Wishing Tree - Carnival of Souls
34. Archive - Londium

Tony Williams - Wilderness
Afro Celt Sound System; Volume 1: Sound Magic
Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding
Visionary - Visionary
dredg - Conscious [EP]





Landberk - Indian Summer
rel January 1, 1996


Victor - Victor
rel January 9, 1996


Galactic Cowboys - Machine Fish
rel January 30, 1996


Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
rel January 30, 1996


Spock's Beard - Beware of Darkness
rel January 1996

Miriodor - Jongleries Élastiques

rel February 13, 1996

In Flames - The Jester Race
rel February 20, 1996


Helloween - The Time of the Oath
rel March 1, 1996


The Tea Party - Alhambra
rel March 1, 1996


Freak Kitchen - Spanking Hour
rel March 12, 1996


Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
rel March 18, 1996



Angra - Holy Land
rel March 23, 1996


Marillion - Made Again
rel March 25, 1996


Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
rel March 26, 1996


Ulver - Kveldssanger
rel March 1996


Edge of Sanity - Crimson
rel April 2, 1996


Steve Morse Band - StressFest
rel April 9, 1996


Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
rel April 16, 1996


I Mother Earth - Scenery and Fish
rel April 23, 1996


Dave Mathews Band - Crash
rel April 30, 1996


Super 8 - Super 8
rel May 7, 1996


George Michael - Older
rel May 13, 1996


Amorphis - Elegy
rel May 14, 1996


Vernon Reid - Mistaken Identity
rel May 14, 1996


King's X - Ear Candy
rel May 20, 1996


Jason Becker - Perspective
rel May 21, 1996


The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse
rel May 21, 1996


The Flower Kings - Retropolis
rel May 25, 1996


Porno for Pyros - Good God's Urge
rel May 28, 1996


Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk
rel June 6, 1996


Cardiacs - Sing to God
rel June 11, 1996


Sloan - One Chord to Another
rel June 12, 1996


Beck - Odelay!
rel June 18, 1996


Opeth - Morningrise
rel June 24, 1996


Ars Nova - The Goddess of Darkness
rel June 1996


Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding
rel July 1, 1996


Orphaned Land - El Norra Alla
rel July 18, 1996


Altura - Mercy
rel July 23, 1996



Various Artists - Working Man: A Show of Bands
rel August 2, 1996


Olivia Tremor Control - Music From the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle
rel August 6, 1996


Failure - Fantastic Planet
rel August 13, 1996


Jason Falkner - Presents Author Unknown
rel August 13, 1996


At the Drive-In - Acrobatic Tenement
rel August 18, 1996


Theatre of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear
rel August 18, 1996


The Church - Magician Among the Spirits
rel August 19, 1996


Enchant - Wounded
rel August 27, 1996


Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
rel August 28, 1996


Eric Johnson - Venus Isle
rel September 3, 1996


Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Live Art
rel September 10, 1996


Lemur Voice - Insights
rel September 10, 1996


Rush - Test for Echo
rel September 10, 1996


dEUS - In a Bar, Under the Sea
rel September 14, 1996


DJ Shadow - Entroducing....
rel September 16, 1996


Kula Shaker - K
rel September 16, 1996


The Cardigans - First Band on the Moon
rel September 17, 1996


Tool - Ænima
rel September 17, 1996


Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Mark O'Connor - Appalachia Waltz
rel September 17, 1996


Archive - Londium
rel September 23, 1996


24-7 Spyz - Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound
rel September 24, 1996


Afro Celt Sound System; Volume 1: Sound Magic
rel September 24, 1996


Adrian Belew - Op Zop Too Wah
rel September 24, 1996


Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
rel September 24, 1996


Alan Parsons - On Air
rel September 24, 1996


John Scofield - Quiet
rel September 24, 1996


Weezer - Pinkerton
rel September 24, 1996


Lamb - Lamb
rel September 30, 1996


No-Man - Wild Opera
rel September 1996


Porcupine Tree - Signify
rel September 1996


The Wishing Tree - Carnival of Souls
rel September 1996


Fountains of Wayne - Fountains of Wayne
rel October 1, 1996


Galactic Cowboys - Feel the Rage [EP]
rel October 8, 1996


Paula Cole - This Fire
rel October 15, 1996


Yes - Keys 2 Ascension
rel October 28, 1996


Jerry Garcia and Dave Grisman - Shady Grove
rel October 29, 1996


Superior - Behind
rel October 1996


X Japan - Dahlia
rel November 4, 1996


The Wondermints - Wonderful World of the Wondermints
rel November 5, 1996


Anathema - Eternity
rel November 11, 1996


Pat Metheny - Quartet
rel November 19, 1996


Rick Wright - Broken China
rel November 26, 1996

sElf - The Half-Baked Serenade
rel November 1996


Tony Williams - Wilderness
rel December 1996


Anglagard - Buried Alive
rel 1996


Michael Brecker - Tales from the Hudson
rel 1996


dredg - Conscious [EP]
rel 1996


Steve Hackett - Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
rel 1996


Screaming Headless Torsos - Live!!
rel 1996


Somnambulist - Somnambulist
rel 1996


Tipsy - Trip Tease
rel 1996


Visionary - Visionary
rel 1996